And eventually, it was brought to an end with the acquisition of Dwayne Roloson in 2006.

This season, the crease may be crowded again for different reasons. And unlike the last time the Edmonton Oilers had a trio of goaltenders, they can all stop the puck.

"It's not ideal," said MacTavish. "It's going to be a competitive spot. Roli looks good right now, and we have a lot of hope that he'll bounce back and have a terrific year, so we'll see."

Roloson and Mathieu Garon are the top two goaltenders in camp. They'll be battling to see who gets the bulk of playing time this year.

However, the Oilers have to find a place for Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, who appears ready to make the jump to the NHL after spending the last four years in the minors.

And with prospect Devan Dubnyk pencilled in to get the bulk of the work in Springfield, the problem is finding a place for Drouin-Deslauriers to play.

"There are a lot of things about three goalies that doesn't make a lot of sense," MacTavish said. "You can only play one, so why have three? Those are issues that are going to be evaluated.

"But Bucky (assistant coach Kelly Buchberger) has a high opinion of Jeff based on how he played for him (in Springfield) last year."

Heading into the on-ice sessions at training camp today, it'll be up to the three goalies to sort themselves out.

Last season, Roloson started as the No. 1 guy, lost his spot to Garon, then made the most of a second opportunity towards the end of the season. Roloson is in the last year of his contract, as is Garon, who the Oilers signed as a free agent last season.

Drouin-Deslauriers just signed an extension this off-season, and must clear waivers in order to go down to the minors.

"The biggest area of emphasis for us is to make sure they get themselves ready for the season and we get an opportunity to see them all play," MacTavish said.